Amorphous SiNx:H films were prepared by the rf glow-discharge decomposition of ammonia/silane gas mixture with varying nitrogen content. The steady-state photoconductivity and its dependence on light intensity have been investigated in a-SiNx:H as a function of temperature between 100 and 420 K. The electron drift mobility of a set of SiNx: H samples has been determined from their steady-state photoconductivity and response time measurements. The results suggest that electron drift mobility of the samples was nearly unchanged for a low nitrogen content. Two samples containing lowest nitrogen showed higher photoconductivity than that of unalloyed sample within a temperature range including the room temperature. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.